Playing With Fire: inspirational romantic suspense (Montana Fire Book 2) by Susan May Warren

fire had been blazing before the drone crashed.”
    “Not the one you flew in—another one. Again, at what they think is the source.”
    Jed had his attention now. “They found one of my missing drones?”
    “You knew the drone was missing?”
    Conner glanced at him. “I lost it over a month ago. Just went crazy, like number four—that’s where I was just now. Reuben and I went looking for a drone I lost last night. It went haywire, dropped off the radar.”
    “You need to come in and answer their questions, get this thing cleared up.”
    Conner glanced again at his watch. Twenty-one minutes. “I don’t have time to answer their questions—listen, I gotta go—there’s been a bear mauling—”
    Jed froze. “Oh no.”
    Conner stepped to the door. “I already called the rangers—but I have to get there.” He pushed his way outside.
    Jed was hot on his tail. “There are investigators headed in from Boise. They want your drones.”
    Conner threw his bag in the back of the truck. “Absolutely not. I only have one left, and it’s a prototype. An expensive, valuable, one-of-a-kind prototype, and if I hand it over, I’ll never see it again.”
    He put his hand on the door handle, but Jed grabbed his arm. “I’m just giving you a heads-up. You take off now, it’s going to look like you’re running.”
    “Running from what? I didn’t do anything. My drones don’t start fires. I don’t start fires.” He shrugged away from Jed. “Listen—” He blew out a breath. “Liza called. You remember her, right? From Deep Haven...”
    It took Jed a second, probably sunk as he was in the ramifications of one of his smokejumpers being hauled in for arson questioning. But he caught up fast. “Liza. Wait—isn’t she the one who—”
    “Yeah. Walked away from me without a word. I know what you’re going to say, but—”
    “So why did she call? Is she in the area?”
    “She was in a tree, hiding from a grizzly!”
    Jed blinked at him, a frown creasing his face. “Is she hurt?”
    “I don’t know—maybe. I hope not. But I gotta go.”
    Jed’s mouth tightened. “It’ll look like you’re guilty of something.”
    “But I’m not.”
    “You could get suspended while they sort it out. Maybe be kicked off the team for good.”
    Conner looked away. Drew in a long breath. Then his voice fell. “Listen, she called me. And she needs me. What would you do if it were Kate?”
    Jed’s mouth tightened into a grim line of agreement.
    “Cover for me. And...give me a plane?”
    “A plane?”
    “I have to jump in. Liza’s at Camp Blue Sky. It’ll take me two hours overland to get there, minimum.”
    “Oh, fantastic. So, lie, cover for you, and distract them? Never mind who’s going to pay for it.”
    “And maybe let me have Pete and, I dunno, Rube? Or CJ?”
    Jed shook his head, but his expression suggested he’d climbed on board Conner’s cause. “Reuben’s on call. If you can talk Pete into it—and yeah, I think CJ’s got a few days off. But Conner, the minute you’re back, you check in with HQ, are we clear?”
    Conner’s phone buzzed. He glanced at the caller ID. “It’s Gilly.”
    “Tell her to gas up and meet you at the end of the runway. I’ll have Pete pick up your gear.”
    “Thanks.” Conner climbed into his truck.
    “And lock up your drone. Because if you’re not using them to start fires, someone else is.”
    “It’s already secure, somewhere the Feds won’t find it.”
    “Just try and stay out of trouble.”
     

 
 
 
 
 
 
Chapter 7

 
     
     
    She’d just invited trouble back into her life.
    Liza stood in the middle of the athletic field, where they played soccer and all-camp tag, and braced a hand over her eyes, scanning the blue sky for Conner’s drop plane.
    I’m on my way with a couple of other guys—we’re dropping into the camp. Don’t worry, Liza, I’ll be there.
    She’d replayed Conner’s voice mail message three times, finding herself leaning